The European Union is once again appeasing terrorists and actually siding with a government run by the terrorist group Hamas. As with their brethren -- liberal-left appeasers -- in the United States, they actually make their spinelessness sound almost gallant. It's eerily Orwellian whereby cowardice becomes courage. And they are oh so intellectual about it.

"I'm going to take direct action and destroy any urges I have to fight against my ruthless enemy!" they seem to say while sounding decisive and tough.

Take the French, for instance: Remember the riots last summer in France? They tried to downplay the significance of the almost three weeks of lawlessness by Muslims in their midst. But the French were being tested to see how far they could be pushed before they went into anti-riot mode. The radical Muslims got their answer, too. Everyday I read news articles reporting that President Chirac -- or one of his toadies -- was going to put his foot down. Everyday! It reminded me of Popeye saying, "That's all I can stands, cuz I can't stands no more!" But forgetting to eat his can of spinach.

These are the kind of people who will sit down and drink tea as they negotiate with someone killing their own family members, all the while attempting to make their behavior appear noble. But the only folks who find such behavior noble are other like-minded cowards. For only a coward would talk peace with someone murdering their loved ones.

Recently, the European Union decided they would fork over almost $150 million to the Palestinians as emergency aid, even after the Palestinian people elected some of the most violent, brutal and deadly terrorists on the planet to serve in their new parliament. Okay, so the Europeans want to aid and abet terrorists. That's not odd.

Many of these same European nations aided and abetted Nazi or Communist oppressors. The French, for instance, gained a reputation in Europe as knee-jerk collaborators and have done very little to change that image.

When the US went to the United Nations to discuss action against Iraq, the French government said US foreign policy was overly simplistic. Of course, the US is not as sophisticated as the French. A sophisticated foreign policy in France was when they couldn't pack Jews fast enough onto trains headed for the Nazi death camps. In fact, the Germans loved the French secret police because they required very little supervision. Many French enjoyed their work hunting down hapless Jews, or at least turning them in. Now, that's an example of sophistication in policy for you!

This week, members of the EU are very unhappy over Israel's refusal to transfer between $50 million and $60 million a month in duties and taxes it collects from Jews and gives to the Palestinians. Most of that monthly tax money is used to pay the salaries of government officials, police and others working in and for the Palestinian National Authority. This includes the parliament which is just bursting at the seams with happy-go-lucky Hamas terrorists. In other words, the Europeans want Israel to become -- well -- a European appeaser.

Sure, give Hamas and the Islamic Jihad over $650 million a year. That'll stop the threats, suicide bombers, killings, and the anti-Semitism in the Middle East. So what if their maps don't show the sovereign nation of Israel on them. So what if their charter continues to stipulate the annihilation of Israelis. Hey, guys and gals, get with it. Be sophisticated like the Europeans and the American left. Afterall, it's not like Jews haven't been persecuted and murdered in the past. The Europeans got away with it. Why not the Muslims?

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for a number of organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores. Kouri holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice and master of arts in public administration and he's a board certified protection professional.